Some San Antonio residents were in for a surprise on Wednesday, September 23, when a controversial street sign was replaced.
More than 160 people left comments on a Facebook post from the City of San Antonio, which shared that officials have removed signage for César E. Chávez Boulevard, located between Southwest 36th Street and South Hackberry Street. In its place stands Durnago Boulevard, the name 79% of voting residents supported in a survey conducted in April.
“I was one of the 18,029 who provided the feedback,” one native, Jane Bocanegra, said in a comment, reacting to the change. “Thank you for allowing our participation to help replace what should have never been changed initially.”
The street, originally named Durango Boulevard, was renamed César E. Chávez Boulevard in 2011. The conversation continued on Reddit, with users sharing comments such as “It’s about time,” “We are healing,” and “I feel the city becoming more ‘puro.'”
Others expressed concerns about the funds used to change the sign.
“They like wasting money,” user Eduardo Zanchez wrote. “Next time pick a small street…”
A past MySA report notes that a city council ordinance to rename the street was unanimously approved on Thursday, August 20, and covers a roughly 5.5-mile stretch of road. The city said it would cost about $374,700, mainly for installing local roadway signs, though it would also require changing 295 addresses.
Many cities in Texas and California named locations after Chávez to honor his role in the U.S. farmworker movement. Chávez cofounded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) in 1962 alongside Dolores Huerta. In March, Huerta said that Chávez sexually abused her, and both instances resulted in pregnancies.
“I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work,” Huerta wrote in a statement at the time. “The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.”
The New York Times also reported on allegations against Chávez from additional women, some of whom were underage girls at the time the alleged abuse occurred. Since the reports were released, officials across the U.S. have considered or taken action to rename places previously honoring Chávez. The City of Austin hosted meetings throughout August regarding renaming its East César Chávez Street, located along the north side of the Colorado River, and KXAN reports city staff will present their findings by the end of this month.
The City of San Antonio says it expects to finish updating street signs by the end of this month, and traffic impacts should be minimal throughout the process.